In the most worthy of pumpkin patches and during the silence of the midnight hour, the Greater Pumpkin raises up and pours a rich deep and burnished orange color. Heady aromas of bourbon, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and clove linger seductively over the thick white head of this tremendous brew. Its love at first sip as the full malt body, dominated by British crystal malt, brown sugar and pumpkin, slowly washes over your tongue. Bourbon barrel aging rounds out the flavors with notes of oak, vanilla, and bourbon. Pairs well with crisp autumn weather, crunchy fallen leaves, and the knowledge that your kids will be asleep soon so you can raid their Halloween candy bags.

The Heavy Seas (from Clipper City) already produces one of my favorite pumpkin beers, "The Great Pumpkin." They then take that awesome brew, age it in spent bourbon barrels, and call it "The Great'er Pumpkin." I've heard about this one for a few years now, but never had the opportunity to pick one up. This year it was released in the CT market, and we made sure to get some!

The Great'er Pumpkin pours a slightly hazy, burnt-orange, almost rusty color. It's a little darker than I remember the Great Pumpkin being, but I doubt I'd be able to tell them apart just by looking at them. The foam is pretty thick at first, but fades pretty quickly. I'm surprised at how much white foam there is at first, because this Great'er Pumpkin checks in at 9% abv, making it one of the stronger pumpkin beers this year.

The nose is awesome; filled with all kinds of pumpkin pie spices, I'm getting cinnamon, nutmeg, and I can't help but think of ginger for some reason. There's a mild amount of pumpkin aromas too, but it's hidden behind a substantial amount of alcohol esters.

Wow, once I take a sip, I am impressed! This is gorgeously spicy, a bit malty sweet, a little pumpkiny, and quite boozy. It's pretty much everything I like in a beer. Now, it's not nearly as heavy in the pumpkin as some others out there, but the spice is great, and I honestly love that little bit of a boozy nature. The alcohol isn't over-powering, but there's enough of it that you definitely notice it. I think I'd like to see a touch more pumpkin, but otherwise, I love this beer!

Well I'm getting down to the last few pumpkin beers to try this year, and the Heavy Seas "The Great'er Pumpkin" has really set the bar high. I think tomorrow night might be the time for the Pumking, and we'll see if it holds it's own again this year.

T: sweet, but not too sweet - you taste what you smell: all the pumpkin pie tastes shift around with notes of bourbon, caramel, and ale. Boozy. 2013 version was a cleaner and leaner model. tight pumpkin flavors and an air of sophistication brought about by the bourbon. Suggestions of caramel, vanilla, and airy wood.

M: lightly carbonated, clean finishing, mild alcohol taste. Seems like all pumpkin ales warm very nicely. Rich. Toned down textures and weight in the 2013 release improve the mouthfeel and finish - the bourbon breathed easier and the finish was far drier.

O: WOW - I have found a pumpkin ale on par with Pumking and Smashed Pumpkin (my other faves so far) - Heavy Seas (the "greater pumpkin" version) is smack-dab in the middle in terms of tone and mouthfeel, but set apart due to the bourbon aspect - a slightly more enjoyable drink for fans of bourbon and imperial stouts. the 2013 eclipsed the aforementioned beers, taking full benefit of whatever changes may have been made to the recipe.

Clipper City Brewing has crafted a beer that is amazing. It has some of the syrupy-sweetness of Pumking, and some of the crispness of Smashed Pumpkin - throw in the bourbon accents and you have a flavorful pumpkin ale. Heavy Seas rolls with a bangin' (newly upgraded (from 9.0))10.0 abv, and that's got to be hard to beat. Get one if you see it.

No disrespect to those who have reviewed this tasty delight before me, but this beer is being severely underrated, and under appreciated. Some of the previous "B" reviews have hinted that the parts of the beer (bourbon, rich pumpkin, restrained spice) may need time to coalesce, without seeing the process through. No need to wait until next Halloween! Pop this bad boy open now! Then throw it back on ice and wait an hour or two. Maybe sip on a delicous fresh HS/CC Great Pumpkin and enjoy the bright, fleshy, not-over spiced, pumpkin driven pumpkin goodness of their ready to drink un-aged offering as you wait.Then get ready to enjoy a creamier, richer, bourbon-tinged treat. The boozeiness diminishes as the Greater Pumpkin has time to breathe, and the bold flavors find time to integrate.. you'll think you made the perfect pumpkin bourbon float. This stuff is legit!Just give it some time... in the cellar &/or simply w/ some air!